Protecting the Posidonia Oceanica

Timeline 

The process

The concept / idea of this project comes from my own life experience. Before moving to the US, I was born and raised in the Balearic Islands (Spain). I've grown up seeing how my islands slowly decayed due to mass tourism, pollution, and people being unaware of the negative effects they can have on the environment.  Posidonia Oceanica has been one of the most affected species. This seagrass is what gives the Mediterranean its unique turquoise crystal clear waters, and it's key to the survival of the Mediterranean ecosystem. Although locals have become more educated on the topic, there's still a lot of people that are unaware of the situation, which inspired me to create this project.

Action Map

Once I decided I wanted to design and create this project, I started researching through numerous articles, studies, and scientific research done on Posidonia Oceanica. I worked together with a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to establish the main objective for this project and then build an action map. We also defined and prioritized the key actions needed to educate learners on the environmental importance of this plant, and the steps learners can take to protect it. Once the SME agreed that the actions fit the main goal of the project, I proceeded to create a text-based storyboard.

Storyboard

Action mapping is an excellent way of tracking down key actions and steps needed to achieve the main educative or performance goal. I then used the map to design a text-based storyboard, which served as an outline for the final product. I proceeded to show the storyboard to the SME, as well as different people without knowledge of Posidonia to ensure that the content could be easily followed and understood. As I progressed with the project, I also added graphics, and multimedia links to create a visual storyboard. I decided to use Storyline 360 for the project since it would allow more personalization, immersion, and interaction with the content.

Visual Design and mockups

I decided to follow a visual design related to the topic, using Mediterranean colors, backgrounds, and images. The final design is simple yet aesthetically pleasing, which motivates the learner without overstimulating them. The images were selected and edited on Canva. I also prioritized consistency of the design throughout the project, as well as combining images and spaces in a way that the visual design does not distract learners from the content. 

Development

This interaction was developed using Storyline 360. I used the storyboard, and visual mockups designed on Canva to create a learning project with simple animations and tab interactions. The development of the project didn't take long to complete, as I had previously worked on similar interactions. I enjoy adding elements that gamify or humanize the learning experience since they've proven to have great results in engaging the learners. On this occasion, I added a video animation and sound effects at the beginning of the interaction to immerse the user in the experience. I also included a character before the tab interaction to introduce the topic, and I gave the character a voice so that the character directly talks to the learners. The design stays consistent through the interaction and gives the learners visual clues about what content is clickable, for example by changing the color of the tabs when they hover or select them.

Job Aid

The last item that I added to this project is a downloadable job aid that consists of two infographics. The first infographic summarizes the key content so that the learner can remember and memorize it whenever they want. The second page is a checklist that learners can print or take with them when vacationing in a Mediterranean destination. This page will help learners become better tourists and more environmentally conscious during their next trip. Protecting the different ecosystems around the world is a joint effort from locals and tourists!

Key Takeaways

I really enjoyed creating this interaction. It has been well received among my peers in the eLearning community, as well as people educated on this topic. I believe in the importance of details, so even though it could have been a simple interaction, I elevated the project by adding different elements that enrich the scenario and immerse the learner, such as video animations and sound effects, a character with a voice-over, and fun downloadable job aids. For my next projects, I hope I can work with Adobe XD and Adobe Illustrator to have more personalization options when it comes to the design and movement of the characters and background.